Gettext PO (Portable Object) file

From the manpage the gettext program translates a natural language message into the user's language, by looking up the translation in a message catalog.

A Gettext PO file is one of two Gettext file types conveying translations in source code. The PO file contains human readable and editable text with a single target translation and linked to plain-text strings in source code. The second file, a Gettext MO (Machine Object) file is a compiled binary representation of the same data for use in the calling application. The MO file is generated from the PO source, usually in a batch workflow for a single project.

File structure

The file structure of a PO file is described in the Gettext documentation.

Example PO files

• PO files for Javascript and Python within Archivematica within the LC_MESSAGES folder
• PO files for the Transifex project within the LC_MESSAGES folder
• PO files for the Gettext project

References

• Gettext manpage
• Gettext files for conveying translations
• Gettext PO files

Additional links

• Gettext project page
• A Quick Gettext Tutorial